Eclair Cake
User Reviews
4.6
Eclair Cake
Description
The Eclair Cake starts with a crust prepared by boiling water and butter, then stirring in flour before beating in eggs one at a time. This batter resembles pâte à choux and once baked forms a light, slightly firm shell that lines a 9"x13" pan including the sides. The crust cooks until golden and should not be disturbed during cooling to maintain its airy structure.
The filling combines softened cream cheese with vanilla instant pudding prepared using milk and refrigerated until set. This filling is creamy and slightly tangy from the cream cheese, complementing the vanilla flavor. Whipped cream is applied in a thin layer over the filling before topping with chocolate syrup, either homemade or store-bought, adding a sweet finish.
This layered dessert, resembling an éclair in flavor combination but assembled as a cake, is served chilled. It offers a contrast between the soft crust edges, creamy filling, and chocolatey topping. Perfect for gatherings where a no-fuss, make-ahead dessert is desired.
Notes suggest making homemade whipped cream and chocolate sauce for enhanced flavor and texture. Using a lightly greased pan allows the crust to adhere well and support the filling.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 /2 cup butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 egg large
Filling:
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese softened
- 1 (5.1 ounce) box vanilla pudding mix instant
- 3 cups milk whole
Topping:
- 1 (8 oz) Whipped Cream just enough for a thin layer. I don't use the whole container, store-bought Cool Whip or homemade
- chocolate syrup see notes, or homemade chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9"X13" glass baking pan.
- For the Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly. Mixture will be very wet. *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won't be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease. No big deal but I like the crust to go up the sides a bit.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don't want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don't touch or push bubbles down).
- For the Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate mixing bowl make vanilla pudding by beating the pudding mix and the milk for 3 minutes with an electric mixer and put in the fridge until set. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly mix pudding and cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge. When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in, spreading to cover bottom crust. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it. Serve with a drizzle of chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.
Notes
- Make homemade whipped cream and chocolate sauce for improved freshness and taste.
- Lightly grease the pan to help the crust stick to the sides without sliding down.
- Do not touch or press the crust bubbles during cooling to preserve light texture.
- Bake crust until golden but not overbrowned to avoid a tough texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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